Banditry includes cattle rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom. It may also be used to pressure someone into doing something – or not doing something. What Nigeria must do to deal with its ransom-driven kidnapping crisis Frequent acts of violent crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria’s national security. 164. Kidnapping can be targeted at individuals or at groups. The Nigerian police’s anti-kidnapping squad, introduced in the 2000s, has endeavoured to stem the menace. The Nigeria Police’s anti-kidnapping squad, introduced in the 2000s, has endeavoured to stem the menace. Organised violent groups such as militants and insurgents have also been involved in kidnap for ransom in Nigeria. Banditry includes cattle rustling, armed robbery and kidnapping for ransom. Facebook. This is in addition to huge amounts of money lost to ransom takers. Get the ENACT newsletter for the latest on organised crime in Africa, ENACT is implemented by the Institute for Security Studies and INTERPOL, in, The ENACT regional organised crime observatories, ENACT Live: Human smuggling and trafficking in Africa - rethinking responses, Measuring political will in an organised crime environment, Breaking Bans: the scourge of synthetic drugs in Mauritius, Drug trafficking in northern Mali: a tenuous criminal equilibrium. By. Kidnappers had usually focused their attention on the rich and famous. In addition to militants and insurgents, organised local and transnational criminal syndicates have been involved. Kidnapping is the unlawful detention of a person through the use of force, threats, fraud or enticement. Kidnapping has … His core research specialty is Liberal Security Studies, with a bias for Political Ecology. All rights reserved. Oyo State Governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, has said the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the North-East is spreading kidnapping, armed robbery and other forms of criminal activities to other parts of Nigeria. VP Osinbajo no longer claims that kidnappings are exaggerated – why it matters, Buhari’s district head kidnapped in Daura, Adekoya Boladale: The day I was kidnapped, Police nab 18-year old and two others who kidnapped 4-year old Ibrahim, The problem Obasanjo called “Fulanisation” is real, PMB’s second term: Ain’t no stopping us now, we’re on the move, Why Rivers state politics is always so violent , Blaming FG alone for Niger Delta woes misses the point, Survey: How COVID-19 has impacted jobs, paychecks and religion in Nigeria, What Buhari still does not understand about farming. Organised violent groups such as militants and insurgents have also been involved in kidnap for ransom in Nigeria. Huge sums are often paid as ransom by the victims’ families and associates to secure their release. Across the country, Nigerians have seen an uptick in violent, ostensibly non-political, crime. Chukwuma Al Okoli, Lecturer/Resident Researcher Department of Political Science, Federal University Lafia. This is happening to apocalyptic proportions in the North-West Nigeria where rural bandits engage regularly in kidnapping in the states of Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Sokoto. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Pinterest. Bandits have often taken to kidnapping for ransom to make money. But kidnapping today is done primarily for ransom – either money or its material equivalent to be paid for someone’s release. Twitter. Huge sums are often paid as ransom by the victims’ families and associates to secure their release. In some parts of the country, kidnapping has become a business, with whispers of involvement by politicians and the police as well as entrepreneurs in it simply for the money. But now, almost anybody who appears to have the most minimal of resources, or access to resources, can be a victim. This obviously calls for an urgent review of Nigeria’s current anti-kidnapping approach to make it more effective. The present penalty for kidnapping ranges from one to 20 years in prison, with the possibility of life imprisonment for extreme cases involving, for instance, murder. Published September 28, 2020 September 28, 2020. Letter from Africa: The 'leopard unit', vigilantes and Nigeria's kidnap crisis Read the original article. The underlying logic of the kidnapping enterprise is that the victim is worth a ransom value and they or their proxy have the capacity to pay. 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This value is determined by a number of factors. Al Chukwuma Okoli, Ph.D  is Lecturer/Resident Researcher Department of Political Science, Federal University Lafia, The article was first published by theconversation.com. Kidnapping has remained the most virulent form of banditry in Nigeria. Several major Boko Haram supply centers, hidden in remote areas, were captured and large quantities of fuel, ammo and supplies seized. Schoolchildren have been kidnapped in groups in various parts of Nigeria. School children have been kidnapped in groups in various parts of Nigeria. Armed bandits kill three, kidnap others in Kaduna community Police refute alleged death of 15, as Cross River communities clash Niger Police nab three over attempts to sell four year old for N300, 000 The governor said Nigeria was facing a myriad of problems, adding that the country had not totally overcome the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Frequent acts of violent crime have grown to form a major threat to Nigeria’s national security. Bandits have often taken to kidnapping for ransom to make money. Copyright © 2020 Enact. These include instances of militancy, insurgency and banditry. In the past, kidnapping mostly occurred in the south and west of the country, but now, it has become national epidemic. And with the unrelenting challenge of insurgency in the northeastern flank of the country helping to spread other forms of insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery and farmer/herders’ brouhaha, our cup as a nation appears to be filled with present danger.”. Further, there is anecdotal evidence that crime has become more gratuitously violent. This is in addition to huge amounts of money lost to ransom takers. Foreigners are prime targets, and have been targeted by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, by militants in the oil patch, and by “common criminals” everywhere. It may also be used to pressure someone into doing something – or not doing something. Yes, ASUU-UDUS to continue with strike as local chapters debate FG's proposals, #ENDSARS: One killed in Oye-Ekiti as security details open fire on protesters, Nigerians risk arrest, prosecution for peddling 'fake news' as Army embarks on Operation Crocodile Smile. Okoli is the current Programme Coordinator of Peace and Conflict Studies at Federal University Lafia. It has become the most pervasive and intractable violent crime in the country. Many more have been injured. Evans was a multimillionaire kidnapper who was arrested in Lagos a few years ago. Kidnappers persist because the benefits of their crimes exceed the costs. Kidnapping has led to the loss of tens of thousands of lives and huge sums of money in Nigeria. The governor urged residents of the state to continue to support and pray for his government to succeed in its determination to uplift the state and take its people from poverty to prosperity. Source: https://www.cfr.org/blog/nigerias-national-kidnapping-crisis-expanding, Nigeria’s National Kidnapping Crisis Is Expanding – John Campbell, US CFR, https://www.cfr.org/blog/nigerias-national-kidnapping-crisis-expanding, #StateOfInsecurity: Taraba On Fire Again; Five Killed, Scores Injured, Many Houses Burnt, President Buhari Signed Law Allowing Foreign Governments To Spy On, Intercept Communication Of Nigerians, Paradigm Initiative Claims, Yoruba Man Burns Nigerian Passport, Dares SSS; Will Only Return To Odudua Republic [VIDEO], Kyari, 2-3 Presidency Cabal Expel Aisha Buhari From Aso Rock Permanently, ANARCHY: We The Yoruba Nation Hereby Align With Biafra And Announce Our Withdrawal From Nigeria. Each victim has a so-called “kidnap ransom value” which makes them an attractive target. These include instances of militancy, insurgency and banditry. Further, there is anecdotal evidence that crime has become more gratuitously violent. Cattles were rustled, residents kidnapped and farms and homes burnt. Across the country, Nigerians have seen an uptick in violent, ostensibly non-political, crime. Nigeria should never have got here. He is currently is detention awaiting trial. Okoli holds Ph.D in Defence and Strategic Studies. Nigeria should never have got here. Nigeria has one of the world’s highest rates of kidnap-for-ransom cases. These include the victim’s socio-economic or political status, family or corporate premium on the victim, the type of kidnappers involved, as well as the dynamics of ransom negotiation. In the northeast and in the Delta, kidnapping has been used as a political weapon by dissidents. Borno residents have a lot to hate about Boko Haram, which has left over 32,000 dead and destroyed over $9 billion worth of property in the last decade. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH. Yet, it goes without saying that without an effective security apparatus that can quash the kidnapping epidemic, economic development becomes exponentially more difficult. Instead, in the current presidential campaign, issue-drive debates have predominately focused on the economy. Boko Haram, for example, made headlines in April 2014 when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, over one hundred of whom remain captive. The underlying logic of the kidnapping enterprise is that the victim is worth a ransom value and they or their proxy have the capacity to pay.

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